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The Village of Tsuma
Tsuma The village of Tsuma is a quiet Crane fishing village, along the coastline in Doji provinces. This is the location of the Topaz Championship, which is held every year during the Month of the Snake. It lies along the Tengu River which empties into Umi Amaterasu. The people of Tsuma are a simply folk, mostly farmers and fishermen. Fishermen outnumber other professions here two to one. Farmers in this village produce rice, tea, wul, silk and cotton. There are also a handful of skilled artisans here. On the other side of the delta river of Tsuma lies the spring home of the Crane Champion, Kyuden Tsuma. On these grounds are the Tsuma Dojo (The Dojo of the White Crane), the metalworks, the training fields, and a vast forest. It is on these training fields that the founder of the Empire are said to have participated in the first tournament to decide who would rule the lands. The quaint Tsuma cannot possibly hold all of the visiting Samurai during the Topaz Championship. The village is too small and peaceful for that. So during the Month of the Snake, the village expands with tents and portable buildings surrounding the countryside, brought here by the contestants and their delegations. The Temple to the Seven Fortunes Just within the town's fire ditch is the Temple to the Fortunes, the second-largest building in Tsuma. It is a large, square, white building, with angled walls that tower 50 feet into the air. Atop these walls, a small circular pagoda stacks high, made of painted blue wood. Each rooftop flanged eight times, and is topped with a great mirror, representing Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess. There is a flight of white marble steps, arched by seven Torii, leading to the twin doors of the temple, each over 20 feet high! Beneath each Torii are offerings of incense and folded wishes to the Fortunes. PCs seeking solace will usually find it here. The House of the Red Sting The House of the Red Sting is a famous traveling teahouse, inn, and Geisha house, belonging to Shosuro Tabon of the Scorpion Clan, and run by his wife, Shosuro Tashihime. The structure is only temporary, designed to come apart for easy travel and reconstruction. Usually, the inn goes to the province of whichever Governor has paid the most to sponsor them, but during this time of year, the House of the Red Sting always comes to Tsuma, out of respect for the new generation of Rokugani heroes. The House of the Red Sting is made from bamboo rods, thin wood, and paper walls, and is two stories tall, containing a kitchen, an onsen, a tearoom, and many private rooms for patron's use. It has a balcony and sliding windows and doors, and boasts a portible, but impressive, garden. This place is well-known for carrying a wide selection of sake, and for being one of the cheapest places to drink in the Empire. To some, it is also known for it's Unagidon, said to be the best in the entire Northern half of the Empire. To others, it is better known for it's beautiful Geisha, who are well trained by Tashihime. And for a select few, it is known for something else entirely... Kyuden Tsuma The castle of Tsuma Village sits across the Tangu River from the town itself, and all of the temporary shelter of the participants. It is rumored that the grounds upon which the castle was built are the very same where Hantei The First and his brothers and sister competed to decide who would rule. The Kyuden is an impressive display of Crane architecture, despite the fact that it is quite small compared to many other castles throughout the lands. This castle boasts many features, including the grounds on which the Topaz Championship will be held. For the three days of the tournament, students will cross the bridge into the immediate property of Kyuden Tsuma, and will compete on the Training Grounds and the Dojo. Snow Crane Dojo (The Tsuma Dojo) Home of the One Truth School. Known for the development and teaching of the One Truth Kata, developed over 200 years ago by a Sensei and Kenzhishin of the Crane Clan. The Snow Crane Dojo teaches this kata only to it's finest students, and only a handful of non-crane have ever been bestowed the honor. The school itself is a walled enclave of inter-connected buildings, made of wood and plaster, and raised on stilts to prevent damage from Tangu River's flooding. The opulence of the school's buildings, gardens, and training facilities testifies to the wealth of the Crane. The rooms have few interior walls, but they are painted in brilliant murals that showcases the history of the Crane Clan. There are many gardens, the most famous being the Higashi Garden, which showcases an ancient plumb tree that was a gift from Hantei The Fourth (Hantei Bosai, the Bold Emperor). It is cared for by the students, the sensei, and the shrewd groundskeeper Shizuka. Sixty students and twelve sensei live, eat, work, and train within the One Truth School. They are mostly Crane. It is said that the Crane Champion, Doji Raigu, trained in this dojo, and his two sons Doji Bosai, (named so to honor the tree gift to his family) and Doji Sekidera trained here as well (Although it is said Sekidera did not do so well during his time here). The Ironworks of the Hiramichi The Hiramichi family, vassal family to the Daidoji, hold a minor holding in this area, known as the Ironworks of the Hiramichi. The purpose of the ironworks is to create weapons, both for training and live blades, for the students and sensei to use. It is with the Hiramichi Ironworks that PCs (and all competitors) will entrust their blades, and the blade polishers will ensure that they are well cared for. The current blacksmith is Daidoji Onimaru no Hiramichi, a stern man who is devoted to his work. Rumors say he disgraced himself and was made to work this unimportant ironworks to atone for his mistake. If so, he has fully committed himself to it's upkeep, and he can be found toiling in the hot furnace for hours on end without rest. Onimaru has twin offspring: Daidoji Kimi, a girl, and Daidoji Jedaite, a boy. Jedaite and Kimi both are participating in the Topaz Championship, but not so much that they cannot help their father in his duties as well. Kiyomi is a very quiet soul who has inherited her father's interest in the legacy of her family. Jedaite, on the other hand, is another matter… Category:Locations